This Is Seduction, Isn't It?
Making chocolate with a little “love’s honey water” mixed in wasn’t all that difficult. After all, what era were we living in? A quick search was all it took to learn how to make homemade chocolate with a single tap or swipe.
“Ah, did I go a little overboard…?”
She set the bowl filled with the juices she’d worked so hard to collect on the table and stared at the puddle soaking the floor. Only then did her rational mind kick back in. She’d heard stories about people with mental issues putting blood or other things into chocolates for their partners, but now that she was the one eating it, the idea of blood in chocolate didn’t sound appealing at all. It wasn’t like blood sausage soup. Even if it was love juices instead of blood, it still felt… off. She’d always been told not to play around with food.
“Ugh, but it feels like a waste to throw it away…”
The amount was so large it was hard to believe it had all come from her own body. She pressed a hand to her forehead as she watched the liquid slosh in the bowl. Maybe she really had overdone it.
“First, I should clean the floor…”
She grabbed the towel she’d prepared and wiped her thighs and groin. The moment the floor was clean, a wave of post-climax emptiness washed over her. It had been twenty years since she’d lived in a woman’s body, and this sensation—long forgotten—left her drained the second she finished cleaning.
“Seriously, what am I even doing…”
Lately she’d been giving in to sudden impulses far too often. Ideas and desires would pop into her head, and she’d think, “Hey, this might actually work,” and just go with it. Things with Mari and Yoo-hyun had turned out fine so far, but she probably needed to exercise a little more self-control. Just because everything had worked out until now didn’t mean it always would.
“Haa… Okay, I’ll put this away for now…”
She set the bowl aside and tried to push it out of her mind. Turning on a video for reference, she melted the store-bought chocolate she’d bought earlier, reshaped it, and made her own homemade version. It wasn’t as pretty as the ones sold in stores, of course, but she’d made it with her own hands. That was what mattered. If looks and perfection were all that counted, handwritten letters would have disappeared a long time ago.
“I still have about this much left…”
She looked at the remaining melted chocolate—roughly a quarter of the original amount—and wondered what to do with it. Then an idea struck her.
“Ah, I can do it like this.”
* * *
“Ugh, why is it so cold today?”
Yoo-hyun shivered, shoving her hands into her pockets. The phone she’d been using until a moment ago was still warm, and it slowly thawed her frozen fingers. A little sensation returned.
“They said it was supposed to get warmer starting this week…!”
She’d listened to the weather forecast before bed and swapped out her winter clothes for spring ones that morning, but February weather had shattered her expectations.
“If I’d known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have put the winter clothes away…”
She sniffled and was about to pull her phone out again when someone waved and came running from a distance. Seo-yoon, carrying an eco bag over her shoulder, crossed the street the moment the light changed and stopped in front of her, catching her breath. The cold air turned her exhales into white puffs.
“Sorry! I’m a little late!”
“It’s fine. I just got here too. Oh, did you cut your hair?”
“I felt like I’d been keeping it short for too long, so I tried something different. How is it?”
She looked a little awkward as she fiddled with her own hair. It was cute.
“It suits you so well! The short cut looked good too, but honestly, this looks even better.”
“Really? Thank goodness…”
“You must be cold. Let’s go inside.”
While walking arm-in-arm with Seo-yoon toward the studio apartment, Yoo-hyun’s heart pounded like she’d just sprinted. Even through their thick winter coats, she could feel the volume of Seo-yoon’s chest pressing against her arm, and it kept distracting her.
“Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve been to your place.”
The moment they opened the door and stepped inside, warm air greeted them thanks to the heating Seo-yoon had left on.
“Wow, I feel alive again.”
“Right? It’s freezing outside. It still feels like the middle of winter.”
“Good thing you left the heater on.”
“Here, housewarming gift.”
“Huh? Really? You didn’t have to bring anything…”
“Come on, if it’s your first time visiting someone’s place, you’re supposed to bring something.”
Seo-yoon handed her wet wipes and a roll of toilet paper.
“Thanks. I’ll put them to good use!”
“Yeah. I’m just gonna use the bathroom real quick.”
While waiting for Seo-yoon, who hurried off to the bathroom, Yoo-hyun took off her coat and sat down. The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. It wasn’t the first time the two of them had been alone, but being in Yoo-hyun’s own studio made her nervous. The last time they’d been together had been at a motel, so the purpose had been obvious from the start. Today, though, Seo-yoon had simply said she had something to give her. There was no real excuse for anything lewd, yet Yoo-hyun couldn’t stop remembering what had happened before.
“Haa…”
She tried to think of other things and fanned her burning face with her hand to hide how flustered she was.
“Oh, are you hot? Your face is really red.”
“N-no, I’m fine. More importantly, what do you want to eat?”
“Hmm, it’s cold, so how about something warm?”
“Something warm… Want to get malatang?”
“…You know I can’t handle spicy food.”
“Oh, right. I kept forgetting because you always came with me whenever I went.”
“I always got the white broth version back then.”
“Then how about tteokbokki for old times’ sake?”
“Tteokbokki sounds good. Can we add cheese on top? I’ll pay extra for mine.”
“Nah, I’ll just get it with cheese too.”
While they looked at the menu and placed their order, Seo-yoon pulled a neatly wrapped square box out of her bag.
“Here. It’s a day late, but happy Valentine’s.”
“Huh?”
“I made it myself, so it’s a little ugly…”
Yoo-hyun tore open the wrapping and found a slightly lumpy chocolate inside a plastic bag.
“I tried my best to shape it nicely, but since I made it by hand, it kept getting squished…”
“Wait, this is really homemade? Whoa…”
Her eyes sparkled as she carefully took it out and took a bite. A sweet yet slightly bitter chocolate flavor spread across her tongue. It had a strong cacao scent, but that was actually nice—she wouldn’t feel guilty about eating sweets before working out.
“It’s delicious!”
“Really? I’m glad. I tasted it myself, but I was still nervous it might not suit your palate.”
“No, no, it’s really good. It’s exactly my taste.”
“Ah, I should’ve given it to you after we ate, though. If you eat it now, you won’t be able to have tteokbokki, right?”
“Nah, this much is fine. There’s always room for dessert.”
“…You sound just like Mari.”
“Tsk, you’re in trouble, Seo-yoon.”
Ding-dong—
“Ah, the delivery’s here. I’ll go get it.”
“Then I’ll set the table.”
* * *
“Whew, that was good…”
“It’s been a while since I had tteokbokki. Feels nice.”
“Oh, really? Then what do you usually eat? Do you cook?”
“Sometimes I cook, sometimes I just order in…”
“Actually, I’ve started cooking lately too, and it’s harder than I thought.”
“I burned a ton of stuff when I was first learning to control the heat. Even when I knew I was supposed to use low heat, it didn’t work out.”
“Right? I used to think you had to use maximum heat for everything…”
As they talked, Seo-yoon slowly scooted closer and placed her hand over Yoo-hyun’s.
“Ah…”
“So these days I’ve been practicing using low heat. Some things need to be cooked gently and slowly.”
“R-right…?”
While speaking, Seo-yoon lightly stroked the back of Yoo-hyun’s hand and tickled her fingers, making it impossible to focus on the conversation. Confused, Yoo-hyun looked up and met Seo-yoon’s eyes—only to find her wearing a playful expression as she whispered.
“Why? Do I have something on my face?”
“N-no…”
What was going on? Why was she setting the mood like this? Hadn’t she just come over to hang out? Yoo-hyun’s mind started to overload at the sight of her friend acting like a girlfriend trying to seduce her boyfriend.
Seo-yoon tilted her head with a soft “Hmm?” and interlaced their fingers.
“…Do you not like skinship?”
“N-no, of course not. I don’t dislike it…”
“Then why are you so stiff?”
“I’m just nervous…”
“Nervous about what?”
“You’re… too close…”
Seo-yoon leaned in, looking up at her.
“Yeah? Then should I back off?”
Yoo-hyun squeezed her eyes shut, her mind working at full capacity for the first time all year. What was she supposed to do in this situation? What did Seo-yoon want? Ten seconds that felt like ten minutes passed before Yoo-hyun opened her eyes.
“…Don’t back off.”
She pushed Seo-yoon down onto the bed.
Seo-yoon looked up at her and smiled.
“You should’ve done this sooner. You think way too much, Yoo-hyun.”
“But…”
“Why else do you think I came all the way to your place?”
Seo-yoon grinned and pulled her into an embrace. Their lips met softly, moist and warm. They didn’t use their tongues—just brushed against each other teasingly before parting again.
“…Did you bring mint candy on purpose for this?”
“I always carry them around, though…?”
Yoo-hyun flopped down on top of Seo-yoon and buried her face against her. Seo-yoon gently patted her back, and the tension slowly drained from Yoo-hyun’s body.
“Haa… Really. Is this okay?”
“If you don’t like it, say so.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it…”
“Then it’s fine. You were just going to masturbate alone after I left anyway, right?”
“…”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to do it with me?”
“…If we do that, it’ll feel like I’m only meeting you to satisfy my sexual urges. I don’t want that.”
“Is that so? But your dick, Yoo-hyun…”
“Hngh…♡”
“Doesn’t seem to agree with that thought.”
“You…♡♡♡”
* * *
“Kang Seo-yoon, where the hell did you even learn this…!”
“Why? I watch videos sometimes too.”
“It’s Mari, right? Mari’s the one who keeps suggesting all this weird stuff!?”
“Right now, just focus here.”
“Ahh, wait a sec…♡”
Overwhelmed by the intense pressure, Yoo-hyun’s body trembled violently.